A majority of the media coverage entering the NFL draft focuses on the first round, so the "beyond the first round" series is meant to fill out the picture for the New England Patriots, who enter the draft with nine selections, beginning with the final selection of the first round (No. 32).

The "beyond the first round" series begins with off-the-line linebackers, attempting to identify good fits for the team:

Second round: Benardrick McKinney (Mississippi State) -- The 6-foot-4 1/8 and 246-pound McKinney has good size for the position, which projects in part to playing downhill in the running game. He also runs well enough to immediately factor into the special-teams mix and could add important depth behind Jerod Mayo, Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins in 2015 with upside for the future. He is a former teammate of Patriots second-year linebacker Deontae Skinner and enters the draft after his junior season.

A majority of the media coverage entering the NFL draft focuses on the first round, so the "beyond the first round" series is meant to fill out the picture for the New England Patriots, who enter the draft with nine selections, beginning with the final selection of the first round (No. 32).

The "beyond the first round" series continues with cornerbacks, attempting to identify good fits for the team: Second round: Ronald Darby (Florida State) -- The 5-foot-10 5/8, 193-pound Darby runs well (4.38 time in 40), which is an asset that counters concerns scouts might have from him being a bit undersized. He enters the draft after his junior season and some media-based projections have him sneaking into the back half of the first round. He has played against top competition and practiced against it regularly (e.g. Kelvin Benjamin).

A majority of the media coverage entering the NFL draft focuses on the first round, so the "beyond the first round" series is meant to fill out the picture for the New England Patriots, who enter the draft with nine selections, beginning with the final selection of the first round (No. 32).

The "beyond the first round" series continues with running back, attempting to identify good fits for the team:

Second round: Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska) -- Considered one of the best pass-catching running backs in the draft, he had 72 receptions over the past three seasons. The biggest knocks on him are size (5-foot-8 3/4) and ball security (in part because of small hands, 8 5/8), but he is viewed as having off-the-charts intangibles. His testing results are notable, reflecting his athleticism/quickness (6.79 in 3-cone drill), explosion...

A majority of the media coverage entering the NFL draft focuses on the first round, so the "beyond the first round" series is meant to fill out the picture for the New England Patriots, who enter the draft with nine selections, beginning with the final pick of the first round (No. 32).

The "beyond the first round" series continues with defensive tackle, attempting to identify good fits for the team:

A majority of the media coverage entering the NFL draft focuses on the first round, so the "beyond the first round" series is meant to fill out the picture for the New England Patriots, who enter the draft with nine selections, beginning with the final pick of the first round (No. 32). The "beyond the first round" series continues with tight end, attempting to identify good fits for the team:

Second round:Clive Walford (Miami) -- The 6-foot-4, 251-pound Walford is one of the top combination tight ends in this year's not-too-deep class, as he's competitive both as a blocker and pass-catcher.

New England Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater was a guest on sports radio WEEI’s “Dale and Holley Show” on Friday, and he touched on what has made this a special offseason for him.

“I celebrated in a little bit of a different way than most of the guys. I ended up getting married the Saturday after the Super Bowl,” he said on the program. “For me, that was a huge day in my life, and my wife’s life. So we really got to celebrate for an extended period of time, not only the Super Bowl win, but our marriage. It was a great couple weeks; we got to spend a lot of time with friends and family and really just reflect on the last six or seven months, and really the last seven years of my career, being able to get to this point and this game and win it, it’s really a special thing.”

A majority of the media coverage entering the NFL draft focuses on the first round, so the "beyond the first round" series is meant to fill out the picture for the New England Patriots, who enter the draft with nine selections, beginning with the final pick of the first round (No. 32).

The "beyond the first round" series continues with guards, attempting to identify good fits for the team:

Second round: Tre' Jackson (Florida State) -- He was considered one of the top prospects at the position in 2013, playing alongside Bryan Stork, but things didn't necessarily carry over to 2014. The 6-foot-3 3/4, 330-pound Jackson has NFL-caliber size, is considered a powerful blocker, and started 42 games over four seasons in college. He is a possible plug-and-play type of selection and was scheduled to take a pre-draft visit with the Patriots...

A majority of the media coverage entering the NFL draft focuses on the first round, so the "beyond the first round" series is meant to fill out the picture for the New England Patriots, who enter the draft with nine selections, beginning with the final pick of the first round (No. 32).

The "beyond the first round" series continues with defensive ends/outside linebackers, attempting to identify good fits for the team at that end-of-the-line role in the team's scheme:

Second round: Danielle Hunter (Louisiana State) -- Some physical traits stand out as being ideal for an end-of-the-line role in the team's defense, such as arm length (34 1/4), and he runs well (4.57 in the 40) for a player his size and thus the 6-foot-5 1/8, 252-pound Hunter could initially factor into the special teams mix. In addition to his top-of-the-line physical traits, Hunter is considered a high-motor player. One knock on him from last season his lack of sack production (1.5).